Third bottom played second top as struggling Norton tackled Ashinston in Northern League Division Two this afternoon.

The home side had two new signings on the bench, Bradley Smith and Antony Barkes.

Norton found themselves a goal down in the opening minute they got off to the worst possible start.

A long throw in from the right found the unmarked CAMPBELL in the box and the defender planted a towering header in to the back of the Norton net.

Ancients poured forward in search of an immediate response but were twice almost caught on the break in the opening 10 minutes.

Goalkeeper Gill had to be alert to save a snap shot from Hogg and then had to race off his line to make a last ditch clearance from a dangerous through ball.

Norton put together a decent spell down the left flank and full back O'Brian swung in a curling cross that was cleared at full stretch by an Ashington head.

The home team then came close to finding an equaliser form a series of free kicks on either side of the Ashington area.

Shirlock got the shot away following a scramble but saw his goalbound effort cleared off the line by an Ashington defender.

The visitors were still a threat on the break and Hogg found himself in space before unleashing a left footed drive he had to gather low.

Norton were being pegged back in their own half and had to weather a sustained spell of pressure before they earned a brief rest bite when O'Brian's free kick from 30 yards sailed over the bar.

Sloppy defence then saw the hosts concede a self-inflicted second goal five minutes before the break.

Ashington striker HERRON intercepted a scuffed clearance on the edge of the box and gleefully danced past a couple of defenders to blast into the roof of the Norton net.

Ashington went in search of a third goal and last Swift had to intervene to prevent Herron racing through again on goal.

The first half ended with a slick three man move from Ashington that ended with a Hogg shot that flashed narrowly over the bar

HALF-TIME: Norton 0, Ashington 2

Any hopes of a Norton come back evaporated within a minute of the restart as the home team endured a second half to forget.

Defender POGSON put Ashington 3-0 up when he tapped in from a yard out after Hogg's shot had squirmed through a sea of bodies in the penalty area.

HOGG made it 4-0 on 49 minutes when he ghosted past two defenders on the left hand goal line to curl his side further in front.

HOGG grabbed his second on 58 minutes when he hooked in at the far post after Aldrige had cleared a corner off the line. The striker sealed his hat-trick two minutes later when he took a long ball in his stride to make it 6-0 from close range and SINCLAIR raced through unopposed to make it 7-0 10 minutes from time.